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Travelling around Hartlepool

Hartlepool is situated on the North Sea coast in the heart of County Durham. Lying between two major northern hubs, Newcastle and Middlesbrough, there’s much to admire in this charming harbour town.

Among Hartlepool’s many attractions are St Hilda’s Church – a Grade 1 listed building dating back to the 12th century – a historic quayside with its very own Napoleonic warship, and the magnificent Heugh Lighthouse, keeping a silent watch over the bay.

Hartlepool has excellent road and rail links. Arriva buses operate in the area, providing routes to nearby towns and villages, such as Sherburn and Coxhoe, as well as regular services to Sunderland and Durham.

Hartlepool has a rich and colourful history, as its origins date back to the 7th century, when it grew up around the site of an ancient monastery. By the 9th century, the monastery was no more, ransacked and burned to the ground by marauding Vikings. The little village of Hartlepool prevailed, however, growing into a busy fishing port by the time it appeared in the historical records in 1153. By the 18th century, Hartlepool was still a relatively small settlement with less than 2,000 residents, but that was all set to change as the town flourished during the Industrial Revolution. With the advent of the railways, Hartlepool became a major exporter of coal, and by the late 1800s, its population had soared to nearly 10,000.